A local nonprofit has joined in national protests against a proposed pipeline that would cut through sacred tribal lands near Lake Oahe, North Dakota.
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They say it is not just a Standing Rock Sioux issue; it is a human issue. The tribes also have asked the company to, among other things, assure the more than 12,500 tribal members on the reservation that the pipelines are safe.
A joint task force of North Dakota and federal officials is investigating a clash between Dakota Access protesters and private security guards earlier this month, a county sheriff announced Tuesday.
The protest gained steam in February when Standing Rock Sioux leaders asked for legal help from Earthjustice, an environmental law group that had previously helped USA tribes and Canadian First Nations fight Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline, according to Jan Hasselman, an attorney from Earthjustice working on the North Dakota case, and tribal leaders.
What all tribes want to leave to the next generations are our lands, waters, natural resources and sacred places. However, several prominent public figures have expressed opposition to the pipeline in recent weeks, inspired by the more recent North Dakota protests. On Sept. 1, over 600 people rallied, according to a Huffington Post article entitled “Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Brings Protest to the White House”, to state their concerns regarding the Dakota Access Pipeline as well as the treatment of protesters at Standing Rock.
The global environmental movement soon took notice, including, 350.org, an environmentalist group that helped defeat the Keystone XL pipeline. In January of 2015, 51,000 gallons of oil were released into the Yellowstone River upstream from Glendive, Mont., resulting in the shutdown of the community water system for 6,000 residents.
The entire route through North Dakota was approved by the state Historic Preservation Office, which issued a “no significant sites affected” determination in February.
Members of the Native American Student Union, Young Democratic Socialists and the Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation gathered at Tommy Trojan Thursday afternoon to protest the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, an oil conduit passing near the ancestral lands of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. It would carry oil directly underneath parts of the Missouri River.
September 9, 2016: A federal judge denies the tribe’s request for an injunction that would halt pipeline construction.
“I urge the United States Government to undertake a thorough review of its compliance with global standards regarding the obligation to consult with indigenous peoples and obtain their free and informed consent”, the expert said. Energy Transfer Partners’ willingness to proceed with the pipeline has produced a clear message.
Drums are pounded and signs are displayed in a peaceful protest opposing the Dakota Pipeline at the corner of Washington Avenue and State Street in Schenectady on Wednesday. The pipeline was projected to be completed in the second half of 2017; however, in April, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation denied the company’s permit. [L2N1BQ1QA] Sunoco told Reuters it has taken measures to reduce its spill rate.
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The petitions also claim that Native American groups living along the pipeline’s route were not properly consulted about the project.
